The conflict between Czech President Milos Zeman and US Ambassador in Prague Andrew Schapiro means that Washington’s plans to isolate Russia regarding Victory Day celebrations have failed

Alexey Pushkov

MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. A senior lawmaker from the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, said the conflict between Czech President Milos Zeman and US Ambassador in Prague Andrew Schapiro means that Washington’s plans to isolate Russia regarding Victory Day celebrations have failed.

"Judging by hysteria on the part of the US ambassador in the Czech Republic, Washington is nervous over trips to Moscow on May 9 by Western leaders. They are afraid there’ll be no isolation [of Moscow]," chairman of the Duma foreign affairs committee Alexey Pushkov wrote on his Twitter microblog.

Earlier it was reported that Zeman called inadmissible Schapiro’s public critical statements on Zeman’s planned participation in celebrations on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II in Moscow.

"I can’t image the Czech ambassador in Washington would advise the American president where to go. I won’t let any ambassador interfere in the agenda of my foreign visits," Zeman told the parlamentnilisty.cz parliamentary electronic publication.

Schapiro recently told Czech television that Zeman’s presence at Moscow celebrations would discredit the West’s position on Ukraine. He said the decision of one of European Union leaders to take part in them is shortsighted.

Western nations have subjected Russia to sanctions over the situation in Ukraine. Besides sanctions, a number of European Union leaders have refused to attend the upcoming May 9 Victory Parade in Moscow this year.

Russia has constantly dismissed accusations of "annexing" Crimea, because Crimea reunified with Russia voluntarily after a referendum in mid-March 2014, as well as allegations that Moscow could in any way be involved in hostilities in the southeast of Ukraine.